Trigun: Badlands Rumble

20 years after meddling into the bank heist of a notorious robber named Gasback, Vash the Stampede is heading towards Macca City. Rumors say that the legendary thief might appear there causing an enormous influx of bounty hunters in the area who want to collect the $300,000,000 prize for his head.

Review

Trigun is a fan favourite. It outguns any other of the Wild West-themed anime sagas by the virtue of its leading man, the affable and irresistible Vash the Stampede. He's a buffoon but a bishonen, a hapless whirl of chaos and contradictions which have earned him the ominous moniker of "The Humanoid Typhoon".

Behind his shades which burn as bright as the sun in a blood-red sky are the eyes of a genius marksman. Tall and lithe dressed in black, robed in a scarlet coat he's hard to forget. He remains one of the most enduring male icons of anime and his popularity has made the long-awaited Badlands Rumble a title I was really looking forward to seeing.

As fans of the anime will know, it is pretty different version of events from Nightow's manga and the movie is cut from the same chunk of pie as Vash’s adventures in the TV series. Madhouse Studios return to front production and this delivers great consistency and very high quality action sequences. TV series director Nishimura makes a marvellous return to form and it is clear that his influence

The story of Badlands Rumble slots into the timeline of the TV series between plot arcs so it has the potential to stand alone but it’s got the greatest value to fans who are already familiar with the Planet Gunsmoke. While recurring characters do step onto the big screen such as Milly and Meryl none of the key antagonists from the original appear. This is a little sad if you were expecting so see Legato Bluesummers or Knives but fans should be appeased when they see Nicholas D Wolfwood skulking around on screen like the sultry fox he is. Getting out that gorgeous cannon and tearing up the place, clergyman style is what all fans clamour for and Badlands Rumble does not disappoint.

Stripped down to its basic elements Badlands Rumble has a pretty basic plot and while it is a very fun ride, it’s not difficult to guess where it is going. If you’ve watched enough Westerns, you’ll work it out in a heartbeat. This minor gripe aside the movie is fantastic. It has plenty of laughs, fantastic character designs, masterfully executed action sequences and a phenomenal soundtrack.

I have encountered fans who were under whelmed after the wait (the film was released in Japan 12 years after the anime) but I personally I enjoyed every minute and it was the best nostalgia trip I’ve had in a long time.